1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthopedic support devices for minimizing spinal stress while an individual is in the lying position. More particularly, the present invention relates to an orthopedic support leg pillow.
2. Description of Related Art
Spinal related complaints are very common. In fact, back pain is the second most common complaint, behind the common cold, for visits to the family doctor. Proper spinal support (whether related to the lower back, upper back, or neck) has been a concern for decades. This has resulted in a significant variety of products designed to provide greater comfort and support.
The majority of these products are designed for about 95 percent of the population. As all individuals vary anatomically and each individual has personal preferences, the customization of spinal support products to all individuals would be impractical, if not impossible. Methods of customization for both the cervical and lumbar spine have been attempted through intricate systems of support that are adjustable to the needs of the individual, such as inflatable means, fluid-filled means, or a combination of self-attachment using hook and loop fastening devices, zippers or strapping. All of these methods, although effective, are extremely costly from a manufacturing standpoint. Moreover, none of these products, whether designed to support the cervical or lumbar spine, ever consider the specific needs of the individual user. For all of the above reasons, a need exists for an orthopedic support pillow that is capable of being customized to the individual""s needs as opposed to the individual conforming to the product.
The present invention overcomes many of the problems of the prior art in that it provides a capability for customization of an orthopedic support leg pillow to fit the individual""s needs without the use of accessory application devices, such as hook and loop, elastic bands, zippers or straps.
It is generally known that maintaining proper posture of the spine helps to prevent the occurrence of spinal injury and back pain. The preferred proper spinal posture in all daily sitting and upright activities includes a slight lordotic curve in the lumbar region of the spine, or what is known as the xe2x80x9cneutral spinexe2x80x9d position. This spinal position minimizes stress on the spine, which allows the spine to maintain a naturally curved position. For example, it is commonly known that when lifting heavy objects, an individual should bend their knees to lift such objects and that the back should be maintained in the neutral spine position to alleviate any potential stress to the spine which can lead to back pain and/or spinal injury.
With the recent interest in ergonomics and in prevention of repetitive trauma injuries in the work place, sleep ergonomics has been, for the most part, neglected, even though an average of one-third of an individual""s life is spent sleeping. It must be appreciated, therefore, that merely lying down is not sufficient for spinal stress reduction, and that proper sleep postural maintenance is essential for a comfortable and restful sleep.
Generally, it is recommended that one avoid the prone position (lying on one""s stomach) while sleeping, because of the aggravated stress on the lumbar spine (accentuation of the lordotic curve) and the rotational positioning of the cervical spine, which could result in neck pathomechanics over time. The supine position (lying on one""s back) has been promoted. However, unless there is appropriate flexion at the knee, this position also causes an accentuated lumbar lordotic curve. In other words, when lying on one""s back, it is natural for the legs to lie flat on the sleeping surface. In this manner, the legs cooperate with the buttocks to act as a lever that raises the lumbar region of the spine, thereby causing an unnatural accentuation of the lordotic curve that may cause stress on the spine. This spinal stress would be alleviated if an individual slept with their knees bent. This sleeping position reduces the stress on the lumbar region of the spine and allows the spine to rest flatly against the sleeping surface. However, without some type of leg support, the natural tendency of the knees is to flatten out.
Lying on one""s side is another preferred sleep position. Without the appropriate support, however, the lumbar spine has a tendency to be affected by rotational stresses due to torquing forces between the upper and lower body. In the side-lying position, the legs of the individual are generally maintained in an overlying relationship with each other. Positioning the legs in this manner, along one side of the body, causes the body to compensate for this position which may result in stress on the spine. In order to minimize these stresses, it is necessary to know both human anatomy as well as the physical forces acting on the spine. Simply relieving gravitational stress from the spine is not sufficient to reduce spinal stress and strain.
Several devices have been proposed to alleviate stress on the spine of an individual while sleeping. Such devices include large pillows or other supporting devices placed between the upper thighs of an individual to maintain a side-lying position. These pillows extend out and away from the front and back areas of the individual to block, or prevent the individual from rolling over. Such devices are well known in the art and a variety of such pillows are available. One problem associated with these devices arises from the natural tendency of people to roll or shift positions while sleeping. Such movement can cause these pillows to shift or move from the preferred position of being in-between the thighs, thereby defeating the purpose of the pillow or causing the sleeper to awaken in order to readjust the pillow. Some side-lying devices have overcome this problem by adding straps to secure the pillow to the thighs. However, it is not desirable to secure the pillow in this manner, especially in the event of a fire or other emergency. To overcome some of these problems, U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,771 proposed a leg pillow essentially hourglass in shape having two concave regions opposite one another that receive the inner thighs of an individual in a side-lying position, or for placing under the legs while lying in the supine position. These leg pillows do not provide the ability to firmly clasp onto a leg for a secure fit. Moreover, these pillows are incapable of substantially conforming to the unique contours of an individual""s legs. Other leg pillows, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,905, have proposed two concave regions for receiving the inner thighs of an individual. Still other biconcave leg pillows have an insert into one of the concave regions to form essentially a flat surface, as shown in FIG. 1. The insert may be used as a neck pillow. The insert, however, must be removed before it can be used as a leg pillow since the insert essentially immobilizes the pillow, forming a rigid structure that is incapable of engaging an individual""s legs.
Thus, a need exists for an orthopedic leg support pillow that can clasp an individual""s leg so as to provide a more comfortable and secure fit and that will not shift or move while the individual is sleeping.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a customized orthopedic leg support device that has a natural, secure, and comfortable fit that can be utilized to support and maintain an individual""s natural spinal alignment while reclining in a side-lying position.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a customized orthopedic leg support device which maintains the normal anatomical position of the lower limbs when side lying in order to minimize stress on the lumbar spine, sacroiliac joints, and femoral acetabular joints.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a leg pillow with a thigh channel and bolsters that are connected by a bridge having an upper surface and a planar lower surface. The pillow has at least one flex channel, preferably one on each end of and adjacent to the lower surface of the bridge, making the bridge deformable and resilient. The upper surface of the bolsters has terminal ends that define a single leg clasp for clasping a first inner thigh of a user. A second inner thigh is placed onto the lower planar surface of the resilient bridge, and the flex channels allow the bridge to exactly conform to the contours of the second inner thigh. Optionally, the upper surface of the bridge has spaced airflow channels that ventilate the space between the thighs.
The invention also includes a method of providing orthopedic support to the user reclining in a side-lying position. The bolsters are pivoted outward to open the thigh channel, and the user inserts a first thigh into the thigh channel. The terminal ends of the bolsters clasp the first thigh with a friction fit when the pivoted bolster returns to its original position. The first thigh and the bridge are then placed over the second thigh. The bridge and bolsters are then flexed with respect to one another to exactly conform the pillow to the second thigh. The unique features of the present invention prevents rotation by the user into an undesirable prone position and also reduces spinal stress while asleep.
The thigh channel is preferably C-shaped, and the pillow may be made from polyurethane foam. The thigh channel has an arc of curvature of at least 270xc2x0, and preferably about 350xc2x0.